In this quick tutorial you'll learn how to draw a Monarch Butterfly in 12 easy steps - great for kids and novice artists.
The images above represent how your finished drawing is going to look and the steps involved.
Below are the individual steps - you can click on each one for a High Resolution printable PDF version.
At the bottom you can read some interesting facts about the Monarch Butterfly.
Make sure you also check out any of the hundreds of drawing tutorials grouped by category.
How to Draw a Monarch Butterfly - Step-by-Step Tutorial
Step 1: First, draw the body. The butterfly's body is long and narrow.
Step 2: Next are the right wings. Draw a large triangle for the top wing, and a circle for the bottom wing.
Step 3: Next, draw the left wings. Monarch butterflies have an average wingspan of 4 to 5 inches.
Step 4: Now begin drawing details on the upper right wing. Draw large shapes very close together.
Step 5: Then draw the details of the upper left wing. These details should look the same as the first ones you drew.
Step 6: Add some more detail to the upper right wing, with smaller shapes in the corner.
Step 7: Draw the same details on the upper left wing.
Step 8: Now begin drawing details on the lower right wing.These look like large shapes that are close together.
Step 9: Mirror the same details on the lower left wing.
Step 10: Finish the details on the lower right wing by drawing lots of small shapes around the edges.
Step 11: Draw the same details on the lower left wing. This will complete the butterfly’s beautiful and elaborate wings.
Step 12: For your last step, draw the butterfly’s antenna. Now you can think about coloring your drawing. Monarch butterflies are very bright and colorful, so use your imagination!
Interesting Facts about Monarch Butterflies
Monarch butterflies are large butterflies with wings that are orange with black veins and white dots. They inhabit some of the Pacific Islands, Western Europe, India, and North, Central, and South America. Monarch butterflies are also called milkweed butterflies because their only source of food is the milkweed plant.
Did you know?
- Female monarch butterflies have thicker veins on their wings than males.
- Up to a billion monarch butterflies migrate in the winter from Canada and the northern United States, to Southern California or Mexico. This trip can be as far as 2,000 miles.
- After mating, male monarch butterflies die.
- Like other butterflies, monarchs undergo a process called metamorphosis. When they are born, they form into caterpillars, and then they change into butterflies.
- The average wingspan of monarch butterflies is about 4 to 5 inches.
The bright orange color of the monarch butterfly is a warning to predators that they are poisonous. Milkweed is the source of their toxins. Any predator that eats a monarch butterfly will get sick, and it learns its lesson not to eat another one again! The viceroy butterfly is a species that has evolved into looking like the monarch butterfly, to ward predators away.
How To Draw A Monarch Butterfly – Step-by-Step Tutorial